Percussion musical instrument.



J. c DEAGAN. PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

. APPLICATION FILED APR. 13. 1917.

1,237,873. 'Patenfed Aug. 21,1917.

vIII! Q IB Cir ' JEFFERSON CLAUDE DEAGA OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. v

' rnn'orissron MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

Application filed April 13, 1917. Serial No. 161,739.

1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEFFERSON CLAUDE DEAGAN, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Percussion Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to percussion musi cal instruments of the class employing vibrating bars, constructed and arranged to produce the tones, or some of the tones, of a musical scale, and resides in employing a plurality of sets of vibrant bars each set producing a different tone from the others. These sets preferably each include two bars to constitute a couple. The bars which make up each tone-producing couple are arranged in close proximity so that they may be simultaneously struck by the balls upon a two-pronged hammer. Thev couples themselves are spaced apart sufficiently to distinguish them.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention there is a resonator for each couple and common to the bars thereof, and the bars of each couple are tuned to be not quite in unison, so that the tone they jointly produce will throb. The resonator common to the bars of each couple will accentuate the throbbing of the tone they produce. If one bar of a couple has one more or less vibration than the other per second, one throb or beat per second will be produced. If the difference is two vibrations, two beats or throbs per second will be produced, and so on; the rate of the throbs or beats being within the selection of the designer of the instrument.

I will explain my invention more particularly by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred form thereof as embraced in a so-called dinner call.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a top view of an instrument, Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 and Fig. t illustrates a mallet for striking the bars of each pair simultaneously.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

There are three couples-A, B, Ccomposed respectively of bars 1, 2; 3, 4c; 5, 6; and producing three tones of a musical chord. These bars, as shown, are of the same length and width but of thickness that increases as the scale ascends. They may, however, be of other formation. They are provided with openings at their nodal points. These openings are penetrated by pins 10 that position the bars upon or with respect to the cushions 11, which are mounted upon the blocks 12. These blocks are mounted. upon a resonating box 13, which is divided by partitions 14 into resonators 15, 16, 17 that are respectively individual to the pairs of bars A, B, C, and respectively common to the bars of said pairs.

The top wall 13 of the resonating box has openings 18, 19, 20 that are respectively individual to the pairs of bars A, B, C and their resonators 15, 16 and 17. These openings 18, 19, 20 are so far apart that the vibrating tones produced by different pairs of bars do not mingle in the resonators. A

The bars are sufficiently close together to enable them to be struck simultaneously by a single striking implement. A mallet by which the component bars of each pair may be simultaneously struck is illustrated in Fig. 1. It includes a fork-shaped handle 21 carrying the striking balls or heads 22.

I claim 1. A sound producing instrument including a plurality of sets of vibrant bars producing tones of a chord, the bars of each set being sufficiently close together to enable them to be struck simultaneously by a single striking implement and being tuned to differ slightly in the rates of their vibration to cause the tone they produce to throb; and resonating means for said bars.

is a view in line 33 of Fig. 1,

rates of their vibration to cause them to produce a throbbing tone, said bars being sufliciently close together to enable them to be struck simultaneously by a single striking implement; and a resonator common to the 15 bars of the set.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 28th day of March, A. D., 1917.

JEFFERSON CLAUDE DEAGAN.

Copies .of this patent may be obtained for iive cent: each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washing-ton, D. G." 

